Stop everything for a moment and think about the last time you were told that you were doing a great job. How did that make you feel? Good, right? All employees need that pat on the back to stay motivated and work at their optimal productivity levels.
Recognizing the efforts of your employees can make them feel really good about themselves. They get an instant morale boost and are inspired to contribute more. Moreover, the appreciation and reward instill a sense of trust in them towards the organization. This has the potential to build a high-productivity team that has the capability and unwavering focus on their goals.
If you’re looking for some unique ideas for rewarding remote employees, keep reading to the end to learn more.
Remote work setup is new to everyone, and it takes some time and contemplation to understand its dynamics. Managers need to be specifically aware of the reward and recognition activities to amp up employee engagement and productivity in the remote workplace.
Even though multiple research studies have shown that remote workers are more productive and engaged than in-office employees, it is crucial to reward remote employees to keep them engaged and connected with the organization.
The following 10 ideas for rewarding remote employees can be easily applied and recreated in any organization.
This hardly takes much effort but works really well. Most employees love getting gifts and kits from their workplaces. I have saved up all the customised mugs I have received in my work-life journey. A small kit comprising different office goodies with inspirational thoughts can be very thoughtful for any hard-working individual. These gifts can also be great for celebrating the work anniversary or loyalty day of your employees who have been invaluable members of your team.
If your team is into client servicing or sales, you can approach the vendors or customers who have had positive experiences and ask them to fill in a small survey or form mentioning the employee who catered to them and shower some praise on them. Coming from the customers or clients they have serviced; these praises can really boost up your employees’ morale and can add to employee retention.
Also read: Employee Check-Ins Are More Important For Remote Employees
It’s a great motivating factor to have your name on the ‘Wall of Fame’. So, whenever any of your employees achieve something significant; like great customer feedback, powerful presentations, etc., post them on the virtual Wall of Fame. They would love it!
This is a great way of establishing an ongoing appreciation program. Create a points system where your remote employees will earn points whenever they put in their best efforts. Gamify it so that there are levels and, after accumulation of certain amount of points, they can be redeemed for a gift.
It’s one thing to get appreciation from managers and superiors. It’s quite rewarding to get recognition from peers as well. You can implement a peer-to-peer appreciation program that lets remote employees recognise and praise each other’s efforts and hard work. It creates a great bond between employees as well.
When the employees are not present in office space, it’s quite natural to miss certain things. If an employee had achieved something good and was present in the office space, it becomes easy to just walk up and invite them to celebrate the win. As a manager or team leader, it’s your responsibility to make sure their efforts are not overlooked. Send your remote employees gift coupons or throw them a virtual party, or just give them a day off to enjoy themselves.
In an office space, when employees accidentally break chairs or are uncomfortable sitting somewhere, administration and the HR department makes sure their needs are taken care of. The chair is replaced with a more comfortable one or they are shifted to a workstation that is more likeable. But when employees are working from home, especially on a no-option basis, they just make do with whatever they have. If they don’t have a chair and table, they sit and work on the sofa. So, when you offer them a workspace allowance, the gesture shows that their comfort is equally important when they are working remotely.
If a remote employee has excessive workload and needs another monitor, try to make it available for her or him. Be it a tablet, a better laptop or a new application, let them know that whatever they need in order to work seamlessly, you’ll make it available to them. This will give them the confidence that you take them and their contribution seriously.
There is nothing better than supporting your employees in their career growth and development. Time and again, it has been established through research studies that employees who get on-the-job learning opportunities are more engaged, productive, loyal, and devoted to the organization. Moreover, employee skill development helps organizations create a resilient, dynamic, and envious workforce that is ready to take on unprecedented challenges.
Empathy in the workplace has been found to be one of the most valuable leadership and managerial traits. Showing genuine concern and authentic emotions towards your employees makes them feel more connected to the organization. Even though empathy is not something that you reward your employees with, it helps engender a feeling of being valued and cared for by someone. Furthermore, connecting with your employees frequently and listening to them with concern establishes a firm bond between leadership and employees.
Also Read: Have you set effective OKRs for your customer success team?
Rewarding remote employees is not that difficult, nor do they take much time and effort. Try out the foregoing tips, and in case you have more ideas, please feel free to share them with us, in the comment section below. Moreover, if you are looking to set up an employee recognition program in your organization, Engagedly can help you with that too. Click on the demo button below to set up a personalized session.
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